Milk cooling cabinet



April 25, 1939. A. A. MCMURRAY 2,155,502

MILK COOLING CABINET Filed Feb. 8, 1957 10 t I 7 I I n 17 39 2223 '2 I 51 7 if 15 19. 3% I, 10'; j] Q iii j? Imfen'tEr Patented A t. 25, 1939 Q t Y 2,155,502 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MILK COOLING CABINET Arthur A. McMuri-ay, Norristown, Pa., assignor oi' one-limit to Ronald L. Hectorne, Bridgeton, N.

Application February 8, 1937, Serial No. 124,7 15 Claims. (Cl. 62-'15) My invention relates, primarily to a milk cooler The cabinet is shown provided-within." pair of 1 or cabinet for use by dairy farmers pending detransverse walls or partitions l4, ll, integrally livery of the milk to the dairy concerns, although united with the inner wall I l of the cabinet and it may be used equally as well by others or in like the main walls being preferably of sheet 5 connection with other commodities. metal or temperature conducting material and 5 My invention has for its object the provision therefore of single thickness. of a cabinet in which the milk, contained in the The partitions l4, M are coextensive with the large standard milk cans, may be quickly cooled inner wall and the upper ends of the walls ii and reduced to a low temperature as required by and I2 as well as the partitions H are provided thehealth depart and the milk Companies with the frame l5 which may extend continu- 10 v The invention also has for its object the proously about the tops of the threecornpartments vision of a cabinet whereby the cooling may be to provide a flat cover contacting or supporting accomplished and the low temperature mainsurface all arranged in the same horizontal plane tained through the use of a minimum quantity as shown in Figure 2. In the exempliflcation, the

of ice due to less frequent need of replenishtwo partitions divlde the cabinet into a central ment than is the case with milk coolers as or milk can holding compartment l6 and two ice heretofore constructed and hence the cost of holding compartments ll, I! which latter prefoperation is materially reduced. erably are of substantially the same dimensions.

Another object of my invention is the provi- The bottom of the cabinet, preferably between sion of a cabinet of the character mentioned the inner and outer'walls, is shown provided with 20 wherein access to and replacement of the milk an outlet pipe i8, see Figure 2, leading from beholding containers or cans may be had without neath the'ice holding compartment at one end entailing the excessive or undue heat leak as of the cabinet toward the opposite end, at a encountered in cooling cabinets as heretofore slightly declining angle and terminating on the constructed; my improved cabinet being concabinet exterior as shown in Figure 2 to consti- 26 structed to somewhat equalize the temperatures tute a drain pipe for allthree compartments; in the respective cooling medium or ice holding the pipe at the discharge end'be'ing formed to compartments. p 7 provide a water-seal as at IS.

The foregoing enumerated objects and advan-- The bottoms of the two ice holding compart- 30 tages, as well as other objects and advantages inments are provided with drain outlets as at 20; 30 herent in the invention, will all be more readily while the outlet of the central or milk can holdcomprehended from the following detailed deing compartment is provided with an upstanding scription-of the accompanying drawing, wherein: overflow pipe 2| which is preferably removably Figure l is a top plan view of my improved screwed into the outlet coupling 20 of the drain cabinet with the covers of the three compartpipe i 8. The overflow pipe 2| is of predeter- 85 ments shown in complete open position; with mined height to maintain the water level in the portions of the floor-racks broken away to show central compartment l6 beneath the necks or up- Y construction therebeneath and showing a pair per ends of the milk cans which are shown at of milk cans in place. A, A in Figures 1 and 3. With the overflow pipe Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation 2| removably screwed into the outlet coupling, 40 with the various covers in closed position. and. the pipe may be unscrewed to permit complete the two end compartments each provided with flushing and cleaning of the central comparta block of ice while the maximum water level in ment. the milk can holding compartment is indicated The bottom of the central compartment is in dotted lines. shown provided with a heavy wire mesh or corru- 45 Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken through gated metal plate as at 22 to protect the bottom the milk can receiving compartment, being taken of the compartment and to hold the milk cans A substantially on the line 33 of Figure 1 and in slight spaced relation with the bottom of. the looking in the direction of the arrows. compartment to allow circulation of the cooling The specific embodiment of my invention as medium or water beneath the bottoms of the 50 illustrated in the drawing comprises a suitable cans. sized cabinet Ill, preferably of sheet metal and The two side or ice holding compartments I! formed with spaced inner and outer walls II are shown provided with'sloping floor racks or and I2, and suitable insulating material i3 theregrids 2-3 which cause the large cakes of ice B to b tween, constantly remain in contact with the sheet 65 metal partitions ll as shown in Figure 2 and hence in maximum temperature transmitting relation.

' The upper ends of the two ice holding compartments I1, I! are arranged in constant communication with each other by means of the air conducting conduits or channels 24, 24, see Figure 3, arranged adjacent the front and rear walls of the cabinet, extending through the upper part of the central or milk can holding compartment; the ends of the conduits being secured in suitable openings in the partitions. These conduits tend to somewhat equalize the temperatures in the two ice holding compartments while at the same time provide additional cooling surface in the upper end of the central compartment.

Thecabinet is provided with three covers or lids 25, one for each compartment; the lids-being hingedly secured'at the rear as at 28 to swing upwardly and being made to rest on the top flat surface of the frame IS; the covers or lids 25 adjacent the edges being provided with some suitable sealingmedium such as rubber strips 21. The front ends of the covers or lids may be provided with suitable latches for drawing the lids into snug relation with the top of the cabinet.

Under present regulation, the dairy farmers are required to deliver the milk to the milk companies cooled to a lowv temperature and, therefore, the milk obtained at both morning and evening milkings must immediately be placed in a suitable cooling chamber.

In practice, the two side compartments l1, I! are each supplied with large blocks of ice which, by reason of the sloping floor racks or grids, rest up against the partitions I; while the center compartment I6 is provided with chipped ice or suitable cold conducting medium, such as water, to a point beneath the top of the overflow pipe 2|. The milk containing cans A are then immersed in the cooling medium or chipped ice.

I am aware that milk coolers have been used consisting of a suitable size box adapted to receive a milk can holder and ice and provided with a single cover or lid but such coolers not only are less efllcient but are quite expensive in operation. As access to the milk cans must be had a number of times a day, it is apparent that with such coolers a rather costly heat leak occurs each time the milk cans are replaced or access to the cans is necessary. With my improved cabinet, after the ice holding chambers or compartments I! have been properly charged with ice, the respective covers or lids 25 of these compartments are then latched in closed position against ineliminated; Then too, with the coolers heretofore in use, the cooling medium or water in the milk can holder depended on the cold air in the main box for maintaining low temperaturethe cold air being rapidly dissipated with each open- 'ing of the cover or lid.

As is evident from my improved construction, the cold air is not allowed to escape from the ice compartments and the conducting medium, namely the water in the central compartment, a better conducting medium than air, will be mantained at a low temperature due to its immediate contact with the metallic partitions with which the large blocks of ice also are in constant contact.

What I claim is: 1. A milk cooling cabinet comprising a receptacle provided with transverse partitions of conducting material and of height coextensive with the height of the walls of the receptacle whereby the receptacle is divided into separate compartments, the intermediate compartment constituting the milk can holding compartment while the compartments at opposite sides constitute ice holding compartments, the latter compartments being without communication with the former compartment, all of said compartments having drain outlets in the bottoms; an air sealed drain pipe common to all of said drain outlets; sloping grids in the bottoms of the ice holding compartments whereby the ice in said compartments is constantly held against said partitions; and a separately operable closure member ,for each let for maintaining a water level below a predetermined point; a drain pipe in the bottom of the receptacle common to all of said drain outlets and the overflow outlet; and a separate closure member for each compartment.

3. A milk cooling cabinet comprising a receptacle provided with transverse partitions of conducting material whereby the receptacle' interior is divided into separate compartments, the intermediate compartment constituting the milk can holding compartment while the other compartments constitute ice holding compartments; means for equalizing the temperatures in the ice holding compartments; outlets in the bottoms of all compartments; an "overflow tube in the milk can holding compartment for maintaining a water level below a predetermined point; and a separate closure member for each compartment.

4. A milk cooling cabinet comprising an insulated receptacle provided with transverse partitions of conducting material'whereby the receptacle interior is divided into separate compartments, the end compartments constituting ice holding compartments and provided with floor racks sloping downwardly toward the partitions, while the intermediate compartment constitutes the milk can holding compartment and is-adapted to receive a cooling medium maintained at a relatively low temperature through contact with said partitions; air conducting conduits between the ice holding compartments and disposed through the milk can holding compartment; outlets in the bottoms of the ice holding compartments; an overflow pipe in the milk can holding compartment; a drain pipe common to said outlets and said overflow pipe and adapted to prevent ingress of air; and aseparate closure member for each compartment.

5. A milk cooling cabinet of the character described comprising a double walled receptacle provided with sheet metal partitions whereby the receptacle. interior is divided into three compart ments, the two end compartments constituting ice storage compartments provided with inner bottoms sloping toward the partitions so as to maintain the ice in intimate contact with the metal partitions, the middle compartment being adapted to hold a cooling medium which is maintained at a relatively low temperature through contact with the partitions, said middle compartment being also adapted to have milk holding cans submerged ir. the cooling medium; a removable grid in the bottom of said middle compartment; air

conducting passages between the two end compartments and disposed through the middle compartment; a, common water sealed drain for all of said compartments; and a, separate cover for each compartment, the covers and the upper walls of each compartment being formed to effect air-tight relation.

ARTHUR A. M MURRAY. 

